IFL Power Ranking - Week 12
- Pasquale Basile
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
1. Guelfi Firenze
Another great victory for Guelfi Firenze, this time at the home of a direct rival, Frogs Legnano, mathematically securing first place in the playoff standings.
The 48-24 final score was perhaps predicted by some, but even against the big teams, the Tuscans are prepared, and now they can dream big.
After the match against the Warriors Bologna the following weekend, thoughts turn to a season finale that could bring not one, but two major trophies.
In fact, on June 6th, Guelfi will face the Thonon Black Panthers (9-1 in the French FFFA Division 1) away in the CEFL semifinal, a prelude to a very heated month in Italy and Europe.
2. Panthers Parma
The Legnano Frogs' home defeat against Guelfi Firenze benefits the Panthers, who enter the final match against the Lombardy side with a winning streak and plenty of determination.
The numbers are clear: The winner will secure second place and an extra week to prepare for the semifinals.
3. Dolphins Ancona
The Dolphins closed the Regular Season with a convincing 56-40 home victory over Rhinos Milano, completing the first half of the season with a convincing 5-3 record that was unthinkable at the start of the year.
The consistency of Rik Parker's team, not only in the final game, is a significant reward for what they have demonstrated in a very difficult season with high expectations like this one.
The head-to-head matchups, however, could be difficult if they end up with a three-game draw against Torino and a team between Legnano and Parma, regardless of the result of the Week 13 match between the Frogs and Panthers.
4. Frogs Legnano
The Frogs missed a great opportunity to ease their way to the playoffs, as their second defeat of the season came at a very delicate time because of their opponents.
It's well known that Guelfi Firenze have been somewhat of a Monstars team of the IFL this year, but the Black-and-Silver team's poor performance isn't a good cover for their final matchup against Parma.
Thanks to their overall point differential, the Frogs are still in second place, but a loss to the Panthers could condemn them to qualifying as fifth-placed team.
5. Giaguari Torino
The scorching and unique Italian summer is making itself felt, and the Giaguari Torino, awaiting their fate, are on a desert beach eating ice cream and sunbathing, ready to head into the Wild Card Round with their sights set on the third seed.
The advantage of playing at home and having a game that, on paper, is more manageable, will be a welcome privilege for a team that shouldn't be overlooked heading into the Ferrara final.
6. Lazio Marines
A grueling, hard-fought, but deserved victory for the Marines on their home court against Warriors Bologna, a near-defeat that kept them dreaming of the sixth seed.
The final score of 33-26, however, reflects a game of two halves: first, a great first half on offense; second, zero points scored but a defense that nevertheless withstood the Emilian assaults.
Rome will have to turn orange and black next week, because if the Rhinos beat Aquile Ferrara, they'll be in sixth place.
7. Aquile Ferrara
Lazio Marines' victory over the Warriors is bad news for the Estense team, who will have a significant stake in the playoffs to play on the final day.
In fact, a win against the Rhinos will be enough to secure the last available spot, but if they lose their sixth consecutive game, the collapse will be imminent.
8. Warriors Bologna
The 33-26 defeat in Rome definitively condemns the Warriors to pack their bags and say goodbye to the 2026 season. Indeed, with one more game to play than their direct rivals, Lazio Marines and Aquile Ferrara, the Bolognese still had a chance.
The key lies in the second half played by Christian Nobile's team, which was unable to maintain momentum on offense while the defense held the Roman team at bay, who failed to score in the third and fourth quarters.
The final match of the day against Guelfi Firenze will be a farewell to a season to forget and from which they can learn a lot.
9. Rhinos Milano
This weekend, too, the opposing team's dominance was too much for the Rhinos, who now have nothing left to ask of the championship.
The Orange-Blacks held out for a quarter against the Dolphins, then fell behind, looking for a late response in the final quarter.
The Milanese team has only one game left in their cursed season: their Week 13 home game against the Ferrara Aquile, a game that will decide who will qualify for the playoffs as the sixth and final seed.
Road to Italian Bowl - Playoff Combinations:
- Sixth Place
With the final matchday approaching, it's time to discover the results and possible playoff combinations.
Currently, five teams are already guaranteed a spot, with one between Lazio Marines and Aquile Ferrara securing sixth place.
The Marines completed the regular season with a 3-5 record, which the Estensi can match in their final match.
The combination is simple: If Ferrara beats the Rhinos, the Emilians will advance thanks to their head-to-head record against Lazio Marines, while if they lose, the Romans will face the third-place team.
- Second Place and Other Playoff Placements
With Guelfi Firenze's first-place finish confirmed thanks to their victory over Frogs Legnano this weekend, the semifinal will be a tough one between the Lombardy team and the Parma Panthers, who, coincidentally, meet on the final matchday of the championship.
The winner will finish the regular season in second place, while the loser could drop in the standings, but it all depends on the head-to-head record.
In fact, there's a risk that one of the two teams could finish 5-3, as do Giaguari Torino and Dolphins Ancona.
If Legnano were to lose to Parma, they would finish in fifth place, as they have a zero point differential in their head-to-head matches against Torino (+20 and better point differential) and Ancona (-20 and worse point differential), with one win and one loss each, and the Dolphins having won their Week 8 head-to-head matchup.
In this case, the standings would read:
3rd: Giaguari Torino
4th: Dolphins Ancona
5th: Frogs Legnano
If Parma were to lose, however, the situation would be different. Giaguari would remain in third place, having beaten both Parma and Ancona in the regular season, while Parma, having defeated Ancona, would finish in fourth place.
3rd: Giaguari Torino
4th: Panthers Parma
5th: Dolphins Ancona
While waiting for the final round, this is the expected playoff schedule:
Guelfi Firenze (1st) - ...
Frogs Legnano (2nd) - ...
Panthers Parma (3rd) - Lazio Marines (6th)
Giaguari Torino (4th) - Dolphins Ancona (5th)
Still in the hunt:
Aquile Ferrara (7th)
Eliminated:
Warriors Bologna (8th), Rhinos Milano (9th)
Comments